12
Seraph started forward, but stopped. "Move and she dies," the ghost-like program called out, pressing the blade even harder against her throat. Sekhmet closed her eyes and whimpered again, starting to tremble. No…, she thought, feeling a trickle of blood slowly run down her neck.
Seraph halted then, and he was quickly restrained by Cain and Abel. Sekhmet looked beseechingly at the oriental program, apologising to him with her eyes. It was her fault he'd been taken.
The ghost Twins then hauled Sekhmet away, leaving Seraph to the mercy of Cain and Abel… although, more accurately, once the twins were out of sight and hearing range, they were at his.
Sekhmet would have fought her captors, but the blade against her neck convinced her otherwise. One of her worst fears was being realised -- she was alone with them. "We've been getting a little shaky lately... seems that the razor just slips every now and then," the Twin not holding her, who was walking ahead, called back.
Her shaking intensified at the sound of his voice as well as the message it carried. Marcus…, she thought, closing her eyes. Then she became aware of something… like the last time… Sekhmet moaned, feeling suddenly ill.
"Did we upset you?" the Twin holding her, who she recognised as Two due to the slight difference in his scent, asked, voice containing no concern and a lot of dark glee. The catgirl moaned again, the feeling worsening. "No…," she whispered, "not her, not now…."
"What was that?"
Sekhmet didn't answer, focusing now on fighting the subprogram. "We asked you a question," the leading one replied. Again, she did not answer. She hadn't heard the statement, so intent on her inward battle was she. The Twin slapped her. "You answer us when we speak." Bastet unexpectedly gave in, and Sekhmet gasped as the slap turned her face to one side.
"What did you say?" One inquired again. "I was referring to a personal problem," she said softly. She was slapped a second time. "You don't seem to listen well." She whimpered, wanting to cringe away, but that would only bring her into more physical contact with Two.
"Answer the question." The razor pressed deeper against her throat.
Sekhmet's eyes widened, and she meekly told them what she had said.
"Why didn't she come out, then?"
"I don't know."
"Don't know?" Two's blade now slowly traced down her cheek. "Or won't tell?" She let out a low moan of fear. "I don't know! I know nothing about her!" "Do we believe her?" the assaulting Twin asked, grinning.
"We don't know... she could be lying...."
"I'm not lying!" she cried desperately.
"Enough!" came a heavily French accented voice. Never had Sekhmet thought she would be so relieved to see the Merovingian. The Twins immediately pulled away, and their leader stepped in closely. "So, it looks like ze little cat has come for her lover's saviour, correct?" Sekhmet averted her gaze, not answering him. Of course, her silence was most likely as eloquent as a 'yes'….
"But... where is ze vampire? Surely he did not send you out alone?"
Again she was silent.
"I would not exactly call zat ze act of one who truly loves you, would you?"
Nothing.
"Where is ze vampire now?"
A further absence of dialogue.
The Merovingian pulled out a remote. "Do I need to resort to zis again?" She cringed away, but was determined to keep her mouth shut. He depressed the button.
Bastet shook her hair out in relief. "At last!"
"Now, ze answers to ze question?"
She nodded. "The vampire and my other self have been living in an apartment beside the Oracle. Sekhmet left as soon as Marcus realised the human was in danger; he himself could not because his programming renders him unable to exist in daylight."
"I see... anysing else I should know?"
Bastet scowled. "The Oracle's guardian, Seraph. I am unable to manifest in his presence. Source knows I tried."
"Seraph is here?"
"Yes. I expect that Cain and Abel are lamenting that fact as we speak."
"I expected as much... you two, go try and find Seraph. I will escort our guest." The Merovingian commanded. The two Twins then departed. Bastet awaited her master's orders. "Bastet, you come with me... we 'ave much to discuss...and I 'ave just ze trap in mind..." Her lips curved in a slow, malicious smile.
***
The Japanese boy stood just inside the open door of the manor, planning his route. At last, he nodded and slipped into the shadows, creeping along the halls like a wraith. Along the way, he found the moaning, unconscious bodies of two... seemingly men. He paused to regard them for a moment before continuing along his path, searching for Poitin-san. He had turned off his cell phone, expecting that a man or program as powerful and old as this Merovingian would have a paranoid streak a mile wide and would therefore have monitors to track electronic equipment.
"Are you looking for something?"
He tilted his head up to see another man dressed as he was, also of oriental origin. Archangel's eyes narrowed. This man was a program, or he was the Queen of England. "I might be."
"And if you are, what may it be?" the stranger asked, stepping closer.
"It could be an ally," he replied, holding his ground, but ready to drop into a fighter's crouch.
"I too, am looking for an ally."
"Quite coincidental, is it not?"
"Very... I am sorry."
"As am I." He offered the older man a quick bow. Seraph bowed back, and then lashed out a backhand for the young man's face. The boy blocked, stunned by his opponent's speed. Definitely a program. He quickly found that, despite his years of training, it was all he could do to block the other man's varied blows. He also found out that the more hits that landed, the more that did.
The program snapped out even more punches, and then launched a kick for the rebel's torso. He was a shade too slow in blocking, and was thrown back into a wall -- or he would have been, had he not grabbed hold of the other's ankle. Seraph raised his other foot, kicking out at the rebel's head with incredible speed, twisting around and landing on both feet. The young man barely dodged the blow to his head, ducking under the kick and leaping away from the other man to catch his breath.
The odds were all in favour of him losing this battle.
Then, to his surprise, the man stopped the fight and bowed. "I have seen enough." Archangel hesitated, then bowed as well, accepting the verdict. "I am sorry, but you do not truly know someone until you fight them," Seraph explained. He understood. "My sensei believed that as well. I have yet to find him false. I am Archangel."
"I am Seraph." Archangel nearly started at that name. It couldn't be the same man who founded the Tenshi no Sento… could it? If he is a program, as I suspect he is, it makes sense… but… the Seraph who started the style had wings… this one does not….
"And have I passed your test, Seraph-san?"
"You have. But the real question is, have I passed yours?"
"I doubt you mean to cause me harm. You could have killed me quite easily during our fight, Seraph-san. You did not."
"Very well then... I suppose you are looking for the human Red?"
"Poitin-san? I am."
"I am here to find him as well... although I was with a friend who was captured."
"The female neko?"
He nodded. "So Poitin-san was bait for her and the vampire."
"I am aware of that... we are fortunate they have both not yet been captured."
"Hai… something bothers me, however. The program known as the Merovingian had Poitin-san on a rack and was using it. Would he do that to one who had caused him no problems?"
"I would not put it past him." Seraph replied. Archangel sighed. "I cannot help but feel that there is something more to it… I know that he was a thief before he was unplugged, demo…"
"That may have something to do with it...," Seraph contemplated. "At any rate, we should hurry."
"Hai, but to Poitin-san or the girl?"
"Whichever we first come across." Seraph replied, picking up both of the werewolves' guns and holstering them in the back of his waistband.
Archangel nodded and fell in behind Seraph. He paused for a moment, then leapt for the ceiling, grabbing a rafter and clinging to it with his arms and legs, saying as he did so, "Someone approaches." Archangel wasted no time in copying the program's action.
The Twins walked by then, moving with an almost eerie grace and silence. They seemed to be searching... without really searching. Something about them made Angel nervous, and he clung tighter to the rafter. They stopped right under the two fighters, looking around silently.
Slowly, balancing himself, Archangel withdrew one hand from the beam and placed it against the hilt of his kodachi, more for comfort than anything else. The Twins remained for a moment longer, and then continued to drift down the hallway, one fading into the floor as he walked. Archangel's eyes widened as he saw that, and he turned his head to look at Seraph.
Seraph wasn't surprised. He watched the ghost Twins with great caution as they left. Archangel hadn't much practiced hanging from a rafter with three limbs. He felt his strength give and had time to mutter, "Kuso," before falling to the floor.
EDITED.